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Train vs. Teens
Location: Seymour, Iowa Date: November 11, 1991 Story On the night of November 11th, 1991 Stephanie Chico and Dustin Kirkland went out for a drive. It was very foggy and Stephanie said the street was covered in black ice and it was 31 below. She went down the street to pick up Dustin so they could get some time in before their driving exams. Halfway through the trip Dustin took the wheel and drove for a little bit. Little did they know they were approaching a railroad crossing. At 9:45pm Dustin crossed the tracks only to be struck by an oncoming train. Minutes later a neighbor raced to the McCann residence and knocked on the door. David's father answered it and the neighbor told him there was a crash and to call 911. David's father called 911 and David grabbed his coat and ran to the railroad crossing. David knew at this point that Stephanie and Dustin were involved in the crash. 10 minutes after the crash Seymour Fire and Rescue and Wayne County EMS were dispatched. Wayne County Sheriff Vernon Brown was the first to arrive. He and David identified the victims as Stephanie and Dustin. The next to arrive were Doug and Teresa Dewar of Seymour Fire and Rescue. They said, "Being an EMT in Seymour is good and sometimes it is not so good because these people are neighbors, friends, and sometimes families." Doug saw Stephanie on the ground. He though her back was broken but it was actually her legs which were buried into the ground. Vernon then went to check on Dustin. He was bleeding into his skull, there were cuts and lacerations on the back of his head, the bone was sticking out, and part on his scalp was on the ground. Doug and Teresa applied bandages and worked desperately to reattach Dustin's scalp before going to treat Stephanie whose injuries were less severe. Randy Kirkland raced to the scene when he heard about the accident, thought Dustin was dead, and called out to him. Because of the fog the choppers were grounded and Doug and Teresa had to transport Stephanie and Dustin in the ambulance. They were transported to Wayne County Hospital in Corydon Iowa. Kim Kirkland was immediately notified. She said she wanted to be by Dustin's side in case the worse could happen because she was afraid he was going to die. Stephanie's legs were completely crushed and they feared amputation. Doctors could do little and had to transport Stephanie and Dustin to Des Moines. Norma Chico and Kim rode with them. They checked on them wondering if they were still alive. Stephanie asked questions about her friends to past the time. One hour later the ambulance arrived at Methodist Medical Center and Stephanie and Dustin were placed under the care of Dr. David Sidney and his team. He noted the team in Corydon failed to attach a trachea tube to Dustin and that it was going to get worse if they did not get one in to revive him so the decision was made to install it externally by giving him a tracheotomy. Stephanie was given surgery to repair her legs and elbow and to reinflate her lungs which were crushed in the crash. Dustin had his legs treated but because of oxygen loss he remained in a coma for a week. Stephanie and his family visited him every day and the first thing he did when he woke up was squeeze Stephanie's hand. It took three weeks for him to communicate to them. After a month he and Stephanie were released. Dustin underwent physical therapy to learn how to walk and talk again. That fall he made the baseball team and pitched a perfect game at the end of the season. 14 months after the accident he and Stephanie have recovered and are more close to each other. He regrets not wearing his seat belt and wishes he would have. Kim said that Seymour needed all crossbucks replaced with crossing gates and lights. Two years after the accident her wish came true. Seymour City Council passed an ordnance and all the railroads in the state installed gates and fog lights at all crossings in Seymour and across Iowa. Category:1991 Category:Iowa Category:Railroad Accidents Category:Head Traumas Category:Crush Injuries Category:Motor-Vehicle Accidents